Digital marketing isn’t just about catchy ads and clever hashtags. It’s a fast-moving, data-driven field that demands both creativity and coordination.
To meet the growing need for professionals who can blend marketing savvy with orchestration skills, Herzing launched a new diploma program in Digital Marketing and Project Management. It’s designed to give students the know-how and tools to get started in this dynamic field.
But what opportunities are out there? In this post, we’ll walk you through five popular roles. From SEO to social media and content strategy to campaign leadership, you’ll get a feel for what each job entails—and what a typical day might look like.
JUMP TO:
- SEO Specialist
- Social Media Specialist
- Content Strategist
- Email Marketing Specialist
- Marketing Project Manager
SEO SPECIALIST
SEO (search engine optimization) specialists are digital detectives who help websites get discovered by search engines like Google. They use data, keywords, and technical know-how to improve a site’s visibility and drive organic traffic. Their work ensures that when someone searches for a product or service, the right business shows up at the top.
Typical Tasks
- Conduct keyword research to identify high-impact search terms
- Optimize website content, metadata, and structure for search engine algorithms
- Monitor and report on site performance using tools like Google Analytics
- Collaborate with content creators to align SEO goals with content strategy
- Stay current with algorithm updates and SEO best practices
A Day in the Life
Your day starts by reviewing a dip in traffic to the company’s blog. A recent Google algorithm update has shuffled rankings, and you need to act fast. You analyze which pages lost visibility and why. After lunch, you meet with the content team to plan a refresh of outdated articles and brainstorm a new pillar page. Later, you test schema markup on a product page to improve click-through rates. Before logging off, you run a crawl audit to catch broken links and technical issues.
Average salary: $53,000 (Source: Indeed)
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
Social media specialists are the voice of a brand online. They create and manage content across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok to build community, drive engagement, and support marketing goals. Their creativity and data-savviness help brands stay relevant and connected.
Typical Tasks
- Develop and schedule engaging posts tailored to each platform
- Monitor and respond to comments, messages, and mentions
- Analyze performance metrics and adjust strategies accordingly
- Coordinate with designers and copywriters for visual and written content
- Run paid social media campaigns and track ROI
A Day in the Life
The day kicks off with a surprise: a trending hashtag perfectly aligns with the brand’s latest campaign. You quickly draft a witty post, get it approved, and publish it within the hour—earning hundreds of likes by lunch. Midday is spent editing a behind-the-scenes video from a recent product shoot, then scheduling posts for the week using Hootsuite. In the afternoon, you respond to a customer complaint on X, turning a negative experience into a public win. You wrap up by analyzing Instagram engagement metrics and adjusting next week’s content plan.
Average salary: $51,000 (Source: PayScale)
Social media specialists aim to catch people’s attention
CONTENT STRATEGIST
Content strategists are storytellers with a plan. They design content strategies that align with business goals and audience needs, ensuring consistency across blogs, websites, emails, and social media. Their work bridges creativity and strategy to deliver meaningful, measurable content.
Typical Tasks
- Create editorial calendars and content roadmaps
- Conduct audience research and keyword analysis
- Collaborate with writers, designers, and marketers
- Optimize content for SEO and user experience
- Track performance and refine strategy based on analytics
A Day in the Life
At 9 am, you join a kickoff call for a new campaign targeting first-time home buyers. Your job? Map out a content journey that educates, builds trust, and converts. You spend the morning outlining a blog series, a downloadable checklist, and a video script. After lunch, you review analytics from a previous campaign and notice that long-form guides are outperforming short posts. You adjust the editorial calendar accordingly. Finally, you meet with the SEO team to align on keywords and with the design team to finalize infographics.
Average salary: $62,000 (Source: PayScale)
Content strategists are big-picture people
EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST
Email marketing specialists craft personalized messages that land directly in a customer’s inbox. They design campaigns that inform, engage, and convert—whether it’s a welcome series, a product launch, or a seasonal promotion. Their work blends creativity with data-driven decision making.
Typical Tasks
- Build and segment email lists for targeted outreach
- Design and write compelling email content
- Set up automated workflows and drip campaigns
- Conduct A/B testing on subject lines, layouts, and calls to action
- Analyze open rates, click-throughs, and conversions
A Day in the Life
You start the day with a challenge: yesterday’s flash sale email had a low open rate. You dig into the data and discover the subject line didn’t resonate with the target segment. You brainstorm alternatives, test a few variations, and schedule a resend. Next, you build a new onboarding sequence for newsletter subscribers, complete with personalized product recommendations. You also run a deliverability check to avoid spam filters.
Average salary: $61,000 (Source: PayScale)
MARKETING PROJECT MANAGER
Marketing project managers are the organizers behind the scenes, ensuring campaigns run smoothly from start to finish. They coordinate teams, manage timelines and budgets, and keep everyone aligned with the project’s goals. Their leadership ensures that creative ideas become successful campaigns.
Typical Tasks
- Define project scope, deliverables, and success metrics
- Develop timelines and assign responsibilities
- Monitor progress and resolve roadblocks
- Communicate with stakeholders and team members
- Ensure projects are completed on time and within budget
A Day in the Life
Your day begins with a standup meeting. A product launch is just two days away, and the timeline is tight. You notice a delay in video production and quickly reschedule tasks to keep the campaign on track. Then you update the project dashboard in Asana and send a status report to stakeholders. After lunch, you lead a brainstorming session to resolve a messaging conflict between the ad and landing page teams. Later, you review the campaign budget and flag a potential overspend on influencer partnerships.
Average salary: $62,000 (Source: PayScale)
TRAIN FOR A CAREER IN DIGITAL MARKETING
Herzing’s Digital Marketing and Project Management diploma program is delivered online and takes just 14 months to complete. Learn how to build campaigns, manage projects, and master industry tools, and take the first step toward a rewarding career in digital marketing.
Click below to get full program details and chat live with an admissions advisor. We’re here to help!
